A new group in Morden-Winkler-Stanley is working together to tackle the climate crisis head-on.
A group of local residents have founded the Pembina Climate Action Network (PCAN) to bring concerned community members together to reflect and act on climate change.
The group, which has about two dozen members, began meeting last fall, shares co-chair Sandy Plett
“Our goal in getting together originally was just thinking how can we consolidate conversations for people who are concerned about the climate crisis, concerned about environmental issues? Because a lot of us I think are feeling pretty isolated in those concerns.
“We use the word network in our name because we want to be a place where people with concerns, with action ideas, with questions, can find each other and then from there find their way to action.”
So far they’ve been meeting monthly to discuss what can be done to raise awareness about and address climate change, both on an individual and community-wide basis.
PCAN member Linda Nichols, for example, is planning the group’s involvement in Morden’s Arbor Day festivities in June.
“We’ll have a booth there where we’re going to give out seedlings,” Nichols says, noting they’ll have bluestem grass and also pollinator plant seedlings available. “And information on composting, water conservation, mulching, waste recycling.”
One of PCAN’s members is well versed in butterfly gardens, so she’ll be on hand as well to provide information and hand out milkweed seedlings.
“Those are the kinds of things we expect will happen more and more as we get established,” Plett says. “We’re now reaching out to people and drawing more people in.”
If you’re interested in learning more about PCAN, they’re hosting a Community Conversation night in Morden on Tuesday, May 7 at 7 p.m. at 500 Stephen St.
“It’s really our first introduction to the public,” Plett says. “It gives us a chance to start building those community connections.”
It’ll be an opportunity to connect with other like-minded people and share ideas on how our communities can respond to the climate crisis.
“Our climate’s changing, and it has a real effect on our earth and our livelihoods,” Nichols says. “I think that we just need to be more attentive to what things are changing and how it’s changing, and I think this group helps with not feeling hopeless about it.
“It gives a little hope that you can connect with people and actually do things. It may be very, very little in the whole realm of things, but it’s still something.”
Anyone who wants to roll up their sleeves and really get involved will be invited to join the PCAN’s organizing team. The group also has a newsletter you can sign up for to be made aware of local events.
“If there’s an opportunity to go help with a cleanup or to come to Arbor Day and hang out together, they’ll get notifications about those kinds of opportunities,” says Plett.
You can learn more by connecting with PCAN on Facebook or its website: pembinacan.weebly.com. They can also be reached via email at pembinacan@gmail.com.
“We want to hear what people are doing in response to their concerns about the climate crisis,” Plett stresses. “People sometimes feel like they’re all by themselves in this, but to share those stories with others really helps us to support each other.”
